MARYVALE INSTITUTE
A DISTANCE-LEARNING COURSE LEADING TO THE
MA IN CATHOLIC APPLIED THEOLOGY
VALIDATED BY
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
INTRODUCTION
FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
Copyright: Maryvale Institute July 2014
The Maryvale Institute
A Place Steeped in History
The site of Maryvale has been in Catholic occupation since the Middle Ages. Formerly ‘Oscott
House’, it came to the Church in 1702 at the bequest of Father Andrew Bromwich who had
inherited the property from his family. From 1794 to 1838 it was the home of Oscott College,
the first Seminary to open in England. In the time of the College the historic Chapel of the
Sacred Heart was inaugurated. In 1846, after the removal of the College to the larger purposebuilt premises 3 miles away, John Henry Newman and his community, who had recently been
received into the Church, were granted the former Seminary as a house of retreat and study. It
was Newman and his confreres who gave it the name ‘Maryvale’, after St Philip Neri’s church
in Rome, and it is specified in the Papal Brief as the location of the first English Oratory of St
Philip in 1848. The following year saw Maryvale become a Novitiate of the Oblates of Mary
Immaculate and was visited by St Eugene of Mazenod. During much of this period the
Chapel also functioned as a local parish church. From 1851-1980 the Sisters of Mercy ran an
orphanage and established a school for poor children. The present Catholic college for
theology and catechesis developed out of the Adult Centre for Catechetics opened by
Archbishop Dwyer in 1980. In the autumn of 1999, the Sisters of the Order of the Most Holy
Saviour of Saint Bridget (Bridgettines) came to Maryvale to a newly-built convent. The Sisters
have a special call to work and pray for unity and it is providential that they should come to
Maryvale with its desire to foster unity inside the Church, between churches, and locally, in a
city where good inter-faith relations are crucial. The Sisters’ charisms of hospitality,
contemplation, and their regular liturgical life have also enhanced the life of the Institute.
Spiritual and Academic Foundations
Maryvale is both a place of worship and pilgrimage and a specialist institute, or college, which
teaches Catholic Theology, Catechesis and Religious Education at every level from short,
informal courses to BAs, MAs and research degrees. The Institute has a mission to provide
opportunities for Catholic formation and education in all places where English is spoken by
offering courses in basic skills, evangelisation, catechesis, theology, Christian culture,
spirituality, marriage and family and apologetics. Most teaching is by residential schools and
‘collaborative-learning’ in students’ own homes. The House, with its lecture, conference and
seminar rooms, can accommodate 100 people on a day basis and has study bedrooms to
accommodate 40 students. The Sisters of the Order of St Bridget welcome students and
guests and maintain a regular cycle of prayer in the Chapel. The Shrine to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus is a popular place of pilgrimage. The House has a well-equipped library, together with
multi-media and audio-visual resources. The grounds include a Rosary walk with Stations of
the Cross. There is ample car parking space and easy access to numerous sites of historic
interest, the facilities of Oscott College and Birmingham City Centre.
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Maryvale courses are monitored according to the highest standards which are assured by its
Academic Standards Committee. The legal and financial status of the Institute, a charitable
trust, is governed by a Board of Trustees, whilst the overall management of the Institute is
regulated by the General Council to which a variety of committees report. The quality of the
Institute’s structures, staffing and processes are recognised in the accreditation given by Open
University in the United Kingdom and by the Ecclesiastical Faculté of Notre Dame in Paris.
The Institute’s Certificate for the Formation of Catechists is recognised by the Congregation
for the Clergy in Rome. These bodies ensure the national and international recognition of the
Institute’s degrees, diplomas and certificates.
The Master of Arts in Catholic Applied Theology
This MA Programme leads to the Open University award of Master of Arts (OU). It is
suitable for professional workers in pastoral ministries, those involved in the fields of religious
education, catechesis and leadership in schools, and, indeed, anyone wishing to deepen their
knowledge of various aspects of Catholic Theology, Ethics and Spirituality. The programme
offers the intermediate awards of Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma as
optional ‘stopping-off’ points.
The programme is open to candidates with an honours degree, or an equivalent professional
qualification, and at least two years’ relevant experience. The Institute welcomes students
whether or not they are from the Catholic community. Overseas students need to be able to
attend at least two residential weekends in Year One and one residential in Year Two.
Aims of the Programme
The Programme aims to:
 Enable students to engage in an informed, systematic and critical manner with Catholic
Theology, Philosophy and the human sciences
 Equip students to exercise responsibility and independence in their studies and research
and to be able to apply the fruits of these critically and creatively
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Structure
This MA is a 30-month, distance-learning course with short residential schools commencing
each January.1 For the first 24 months, students work from home following specially designed
module course books and associated reading and submitting assignments based upon this
reading. All modules require 15 hours per week of coursework and study time spread over 10
weeks i.e. 150 hours in all.
The final 6 months of the course focus on the writing of a 20,000 word dissertation. Students
participate in lectures, seminars and tutorials at residential sessions. Full personal tutorial
support and guidance is provided and telephone and email helplines are available.
It is possible, within the structure of the MA Programme, to terminate with the award of a
Postgraduate Certificate (Year 1) or Postgraduate Diploma (Year 2). The Post-graduate
Certificate consists of one year of part-time study of the MA course. Students who satisfactorily
complete the Certificate may proceed to the Diploma. The Post-graduate Diploma consists of
the Certificate Year plus the modules and residential work for the second year. Students who
satisfactorily complete the Diploma may proceed to the final stage of the MA programme.
The final requirement for the Master's degree is the dissertation, a report of 20,000 words on a
topic chosen by the student and conducted by independent personal research, with tutorial
advice and supervision. The dissertation constitutes the chief academic test of the course. Its
main purpose is to provide students with the opportunity to draw together the elements of the
taught course in order to focus upon a subject of both academic and personal significance,
through reflection upon theoretical sources and the analysis of real-life situations.
Content
Students follow one of five ‘pathways’ through the programme which constitute particular
specialisms. The five pathways are:
1. MA in Catholic Applied Theology (Faith and Culture)
This pathway aims to foster knowledge and critical understanding of Christian anthropology,
faith, ethics, values and culture, and to enable students to reflect systematically on, and think
critically and creatively about, spiritual, moral and social values in relation to various features
of contemporary culture.
Modules studied focus on: Christian Anthropology; God and Salvation in Jesus Christ; Fundamental
Themes in Christian Ethics; Cultural Horizons of Faith; Marriage and Sexual Ethics; Catholic Social
Teaching; Evangelising Culture; Research Methods.
Students may seek permission to take up to five and a half years to complete the MA. A fee is charged for
each additional year.
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2. MA in Catholic Applied Theology (Religious Education and Catechesis)
This pathway aims to deepen the students’ knowledge and understanding of the main areas of
Catholic theology and the principles of Catholic education and catechesis, enabling them to
reflect critically and creatively on issues pertinent to intellectual engagement with the Catholic
worldview and with the transmission of the faith.
Modules studied focus on: Christian Anthropology; God and Salvation in Jesus Christ; Catechesis:
Purpose, Nature, Method; Scripture for RE and Catechesis; The Church; Liturgy and Sacraments OR
Prayer and the Spiritual Life; Moral Formation; Research Methods.
3. MA in Catholic Applied Theology (Spirituality)
This pathway aims to foster knowledge and critical understanding of the relationship between
spiritual theology and the foundational doctrines of the Catholic faith, enabling students to
reflect critically and creatively on issues pertinent to spirituality and spiritual formation.
Modules studied focus on: Christian Anthropology; God and Salvation in Jesus Christ; Prayer and the
Spiritual Life; Doctrine and Spirituality: Learning from the Fathers OR Patterns of Personal and
Communal Spirituality; Psychology for Spiritual Formation; Mind and Heart: Medieval Spirituality; OR
Examining the Spiritual Traditions of the Early Modern Church (16th – 17th Centuries); Catholicism and
Contemporary Currents of Spirituality; Research Methods.
4. MA in Catholic Applied Theology (Marriage and Family)
This pathway aims to deepen the students’ knowledge and understanding of the Catholic
vision for marriage and family particularly as informed by the teaching of Pope John Paul II,
and to enable them to reflect critically on this knowledge and understanding in response to
the need to enrich marriage and family life.
Modules studied focus on: Marriage in Sacred Scripture; Christian Anthropology; An Introduction to
Fundamental Moral Theology; The Sacrament of Marriage; Marriage and Family in the Teaching of the
Church; Love, Marriage and Family: A Psychological Perspective; The Contemporary Socio-Political Context
of the Family; Research Methods (in developing this pathway, the MA faculty has worked closely
with the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family in Rome).
5. MA in Catholic Applied Theology (Apologetics)
This pathway aims to foster knowledge and critical understanding of the rational grounds for
the Catholic faith, intellectual objections to it, and the range of possible responses, enabling
students to expound and defend the faith in the modern world.
Modules studied focus on: Introduction to Apologetics; Christian Anthropology; Philosophy, God and
Science; The Historical Jesus and the Church; Catholic Sexual Ethics; Controversial Issues from Church
History; Controversial Issues in Modern Apologetics; Research Methods.
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Teaching and Learning Methods
A collaborative-learning approach is followed on the course, with course materials specially prepared
by the Institute's team of academic, educational and pastoral specialists. Students follow the
course at home through the material, readings and assignments presented to them in the
coursebooks corresponding to each module of study.
Residentials: The course also includes a residential component. Residentials constitute invaluable
opportunities for students to meet and discuss with each other, to socialise, worship and study
together. On residentials, all students receive lectures and seminars which focus on particular
modules being studied. Seminars are also conducted which explore issues of common concern to
all students on the MA in Catholic Applied Theology (see Course Timetable for details).
The residentials are compulsory elements of the course, except in the case of those studying
abroad and certain special categories of prospective students, such as enclosed religious (for
these students, special support materials are provided to ensure they have equal access to those
elements of the curriculum delivered at residentials). For those studying outside of the United
Kingdom, only the Introductory weekend, the Research Methods weekend in the first year and
the Dissertation weekend in the second year are compulsory, though attendance at all residentials
is highly recommended.
An academic tutor is assigned to each student for each area of study. This tutor provides support
and direction through a response to the academic paper produced by the student at the
conclusion of a module.
Assessment
Each module is assessed through a written assignment of 5,000 words. The final piece of work
undertaken for the award of MA is the dissertation which is 20,000 words.
Coursework and dissertations are assessed initially by academic tutors, moderated by the Course
Director and all assessed work, including all the dissertations, is scrutinised by an external
examiner. All reports and marks are made available to the Board of Examiners, which is
responsible for taking the final decision on all cases.
Student Support
The Course Director acts as personal tutor to help guide students through the programme and to
monitor both the students' progress and the effect of the course on them. Contact with the
personal tutor is normally by letter, telephone, or e-mail, and there are also opportunities to meet
with the personal tutor at Maryvale during residential sessions or at other pre-arranged times.
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Students are also encouraged to network via e-mail, cluster groups and the chat room on the
website. There is a full-time librarian available to assist in the location of books and articles and
through provision of a photocopying service.
Modules to Be Studied
FOR THE MA IN CATHOLIC APPLIED THEOLOGY (FAITH AND CULTURE)
Year One
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Module One: Christian Anthropology
Module Two: God and Salvation in Jesus Christ
Module Three: Fundamental Themes in Christian Ethics
Module Four: Cultural Horizons of Faith
Year Two
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Module Five: Marriage and Sexual Ethics
Module Six: Catholic Social Teaching
Module Seven: Evangelising Culture
Research Methods
Year Three
Dissertation in the area of Faith and Culture (20, 000 words)
FOR THE MA IN CATHOLIC APPLIED THEOLOGY
(RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND CATECHESIS)
Year One
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Module One: Christian Anthropology
Module Two: God and Salvation in Jesus Christ
Module Three: Catechesis: Purpose, Nature and Method
Module Four: Scripture for RE and Catechesis
Year Two
 Module Five: The Church
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 Module Six: Liturgy and Sacraments OR Prayer and the Spiritual Life
 Module Seven: Moral Formation
 Research Methods
Year Three
Dissertation in the area of RE and Catechesis (20, 000 words)
FOR THE MA IN CATHOLIC APPLIED THEOLOGY
(SPIRITUALITY)
Year One
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Module One: Christian Anthropology
Module Two: God and Salvation in Jesus Christ
Module Three: Prayer and the Spiritual Life
Module Four: Doctrine and Spirituality: Learning from the Fathers OR Patterns of
Personal and Communal Spirituality: Learning from Monasticism
Year Two
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Module Five: Psychology for Spiritual Formation
Module Six: Mind and Heart: Medieval Spirituality OR Examining the Spiritual Traditions
of the Early Modern Church (16th – 17th centuries)
Module Seven: Catholicism and Contemporary Currents of Spirituality
Module Eight: Research Methods
Year Three
Dissertation in the area of Spirituality (20, 000 words)
FOR THE MA IN CATHOLIC APPLIED THEOLOGY
(MARRIAGE AND FAMILY)
Year One

Module One: Marriage in Sacred Scripture
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Module Two: Christian Anthropology: a Vocation to Love
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Module Three: Living in Christ: an Introduction to Fundamental Moral Theology
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Module Four: The Sacrament of Marriage: ‘Loving as God Loves’
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Year Two

Module Five: Love and Fruitfulness: Marriage and Family in the Teaching
of the Church
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Module Six: Love, Marriage and the Family: a Psychological Perspective

Module Seven: The Contemporary Socio-Political Context of the Family

Research Methods
Year Three
Dissertation in the area of Marriage and Family (20, 000 words)
FOR THE MA IN CATHOLIC APPLIED THEOLOGY
(APOLOGETICS)
Year One
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Module One: Introduction to Apologetics
Module Two: Christian Anthropology
Module Three: Philosophy, God and Science
Module Four: The Historical Jesus and the Church
Year Two
 Module Five: Catholic Sexual Ethics
 Module Six: Controversial Issues from Church History
 Module Seven: Controversial Issues in Modern Apologetics
 Module Eight: Research Methods
Year Three
Dissertation in the area of Apologetics (20, 000 words)
Course Timetable
An outline of the general structure and syllabus of the course is as follows:
Year 1: Postgraduate Certificate
 Introductory residential weekend: Induction onto the MA in Applied Theology;
Introduction to Foundation Modules (16th – 18th January 2015)
 January – May: Home-based study focusing on the first two modules, with assessed work
from each module
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 Second residential weekend: (29th – 31st May 2015): Introduction to Module 3, Study Skills,
Research Methods
 June – September: Home-based study – Module 3 with assessed work; Module 4 begun
 Third residential weekend: Introduction to Module 4; Research Methods (September 2015
– date to be finalised)
 September-November: Home-based study focusing on Module 4
Admission to the Programme
1. Students conform to the formal admissions requirements of the Institute, which have been
approved by the Open University.
2. Candidates are expected to have an honours degree or equivalent professional qualifications (a
Teacher's Certificate, certain Diplomas and courses of study, e.g. for the priesthood, can be
accepted). Applicants who can show that they have covered the material of specific modules, and
who have gained academic credit for this work elsewhere at a postgraduate level, may be allowed
exemption for up to four modules at the Institute’s discretion.
3. Apart from these academic qualifications, candidates are asked to submit in writing their
reasons for wishing to undertake the Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma/MA. The intention is to
ensure that candidates have an understanding of the contribution that higher studies might make
to their professional life, and an acceptable attitude regarding the demands, intellectually and
personally, that the course could be expected to make on them.
4. The Institute, with the approval of the Open University, participates in the University's credit
transfer arrangements. Those interested in further information concerning these arrangements
should write to the Course Director.
Policy on the admission and support of students with English as a second
language
1. All higher education programmes offered by Maryvale Institute are written, delivered
and assessed exclusively in English. On application the Institute requires evidence of
proficiency in written and spoken English; the evidence of proficiency required for entry
into courses is as follows:
 International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Minimum average of 6.5
overall, with no sub-test below 6.0.
 Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (MTELP): Minimum equated
score of 90.
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 Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Minimum paper-based total of
550, computer-based total of 213, or Internet-based total of 79.
 Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE): Minimum grade of B.
 Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): Minimum grade of C.
2. Students who cannot demonstrate proficiency in English to the satisfaction of
the Institute are required to take a short written examination which tests reading
level and understanding, and facility in written English. This is designed, provided
and assessed by the Institute. Dictionaries are allowed for the purposes of the
exam.
3. As a standard procedure, all students for whom English is not their first
language are identified at the relevant Assessment and Examinations Board.
4. Students who are deemed not to have passed may retake the exam, having
demonstrated that they have undergone further instruction in English. Students
who demonstrate a minimal level of proficiency may be accepted onto the course
at the discretion of the Institute provided they give clear evidence of their plans for
further improving their English.
Course Fees
The fees for Year 1 of the Programme are £3025 for EU students and £4540 (for non-EU
students). This covers tuition and all residential costs. Course fees are payable at the beginning of
each academic year. Fees will rise annually by about 5%.
Students will incur some additional expenditure in connection with their course of study on such
items as travel, postage, extra books and the cost of having their dissertation bound.
Application and Registration
An Application Form is enclosed with this brochure. A non-returnable application fee of £50.00
is required when making application for the course. Full fees for Year 1 are required once you
have been registered for the course, and must be paid before the first weekend of the course.
Cheques should be made payable to ‘Maryvale Institute’. Payment must be made in Sterling. From countries
outside the UK payment should be made in Sterling by way of a Banker’s Draft drawn on a U.K. bank.
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Admissions Process
When you have sent back your application form, an application fee to cover the administrative
costs associated with the admissions process, a statement of why you would like to take this
course, and once the references which you will have arranged to have sent to us have arrived,
your application will be considered by the person at Maryvale Institute responsible for
admissions to this course. (Note: These references are treated as confidential between the
referee and the Institute).
We will then write to you telling you whether you have been admitted to the course. (You may
be asked to come to the Institute for an interview, or we may phone you in order to clarify
any details in your application. On the whole, however, we prefer to avoid face-to-face
interviews because of the distances that may be involved.)
Assuming that your application is successful you will be sent an ‘acceptance pack’, including
further information about Maryvale Institute and the course. This includes details of how to
apply for a student card, and an invoice for your fees. You will also be asked to sign a
statement agreeing to abide by the regulations and support the ethos of Maryvale Institute.
Once we have received your fees for the first year and your signed statement you are formally
enrolled as a student of the Institute.
If for any reason your application for a place on the course is not successful, the Institute
reserves the right, because of the elements of confidentiality involved in the admissions
process and the collection of references, not to give you the reasons for this decision. If at any
stage you are dissatisfied with the admissions process we would advise you to follow the
complaints procedure of the Institute: a copy of this can be found on the Institute’s website,
or you can order a copy from the Institute’s library. We will endeavour to ensure that your
questions are dealt with promptly and professionally.
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THE
MARYVALE INSTITUTE
DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998
The Maryvale Institute is a data controller in terms of the 1998 legislation and has a policy in matters of data protection.
The Institute requires a certain amount of personal information for the administration of your studies, and to ensure the
proper completion of your chosen course or degree. All personal information provided by you will be treated strictly in
terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. This means confidentiality will be respected, and that all appropriate security
measures will be taken to prevent unauthorised disclosure. The data that you provide will be used for stated purposes
only. You would be advised about any further uses.
The Institute equally requires to process some data which current legislation refers to as sensitive personal data (e.g. racial
or ethnic origin, marital status, health records, etc). Again appropriate security will be in place to ensure that documents
such as medical certificates (possibly required by examination boards) are retained confidentially and that they are retained
no longer than is necessary.
The administration of studies may extend beyond the Institute's central administration (e.g. transmission of data to
academic departments, the library, the IT services, residential unit, or professional bodies who accredit degrees). In other
words it may include all aspects of student progress through to eventual graduation. Results of examinations are advised
by letter from Course Directors and Graduation results are posted on notice boards maintained by the Institute's Registry
and may include your name and your grade. Information on degree results is regarded as public information, and
published as such. In common with other Universities and Institutes we archive student records for a limited number of
years after graduation, in order to be able to confirm requests from prospective employers etc. Details are also passed to
our Alumni Office so that we can keep in touch with former students.
Under certain circumstances prescribed by the Act we might have to make data available without your consent. For
example, in common with all other universities and institutes, we are obliged to pass information to the Higher Education
Statistics Agency (HESA).
At various times during your studies you will be asked for personal data by the Institute' departments, or services. You
will still have full rights under the Data Protection Act, and may, if you wish, withhold personal data from publication in,
for example, Web-based directories.
The Institute does all it can to ensure that all data remain up-to-date and accurate. There are some areas in which we must
rely on students to tell us of changes that occur, and it is important that you keep us informed of any such changes to
avoid situations where (for example) we may send vital material to the wrong address.
Any queries on these issues may be raised directly with the Institute's Data Protection Officer, who is the Institute’s HE
Registry Administrator.
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